I would like to order one of these but have always been a little leary of Ali Express - has anyone ordered from them and how did it work out?

I've order through Aliexpress numerous times, though not this particular seller (Aliexpress is an escrow service for many sellers). I would compare the safety of using aliepxress to that of using ebay, but everything happens at a slower pace.

On the heli itself, I've bought this model soon after it came out, but my particular sample was crap. (There are mixed reviews on the net, check for yourself.)

Aliexpress worked for me so far, they don't give the sellers your money until you confirm that you received it. Shipping times vary a lot tho, I've had some orders arrive in 12 days, and others in 25+ days.

I've order through Aliexpress numerous times, though not this particular seller (Aliexpress is an escrow service for many sellers). I would compare the safety of using aliepxress to that of using ebay, but everything happens at a slower pace.

On the heli itself, I've bought this model soon after it came out, but my particular sample was crap. (There are mixed reviews on the net, check for yourself.)

Lime Green S107G breaks the $16 barrier today, selling at $15.99 at Amazon FSSS, via our favorite seller, Battery Superstore, too. Also available in White, same price. This is the lowest I have seen on a genuine 2012 S107G.

The 9c002 is the only 2.4g and has a removable battery. I'm just concerned it may not be as reliable and I feel less comfortable ordering from a non-Amazon site.

Thoughts?

These are 3 very different helicopters. The Drift King is what I would not called a true 4 ch. It is a 3+1 ch, because it is basically built on a 3 ch helicopter and added a little gadget to make it drift sideways, poor implementation at that. The advantage of the Drift King is that you could easily configure it to fly Mode 2, or Mode 4.

The Syma 800G is a 4ch coaxial. But it is Mode 4, which is a bad step to take if you want to go up the chain to some more serious 4ch flying, which pretty much everything is mode 2 there. The Tx is very small and the not precise.

The JC 9C002 is a true 4ch 2.4GHz single rotor fixed pitched. It doesn't belong to this "coaxial" forum. It is a poor implementation of a Blade mSR clone. But I think it is the right step towards the next level. However, instead of the 9C002, you should visit the Micro Helicopter forums and research on the WL-V911 (a easy flyer and one of the best), or the GW9958 (a challenging performance flyer). They cost about $40-50 shipped. PM me if you're interested in these, because I have too many of them, and I'm downsizing.

These are 3 very different helicopters. The Drift King is what I would not called a true 4 ch. It is a 3+1 ch, because it is basically built on a 3 ch helicopter and added a little gadget to make it drift sideways, poor implementation at that. The advantage of the Drift King is that you could easily configure it to fly Mode 2, or Mode 4.

The Syma 800G is a 4ch coaxial. But it is Mode 4, which is a bad step to take if you want to go up the chain to some more serious 4ch flying, which pretty much everything is mode 2 there. The Tx is very small and the not precise.

The JC 9C002 is a true 4ch 2.4GHz single rotor fixed pitched. It doesn't belong to this "coaxial" forum. It is a poor implementation of a Blade mSR clone. But I think it is the right step towards the next level. However, instead of the 9C002, you should visit the Micro Helicopter forums and research on the WL-V911 (a easy flyer and one of the best), or the GW9958 (a challenging performance flyer). They cost about $40-50 shipped. PM me if you're interested in these, because I have too many of them, and I'm downsizing.

Excellent help, Heli! I have flown the Drift King and it flies like a souped up 107g. Almost the same controllability...just faster.

I read some reviews about the controls not being that precise with the 800G so I had my concerns.

I really like that the 9002 is 2.4g as I'd like to fly outside when the winds are dead calm. I've tried it with my 107 but only at night when the sun doesn't interfere. I saw the V911 in my research and it does sound like it's the step up from the 9002 (or a newer model of it). I saw it on Amazon but it was $50 - more than 2x the price of the 9002. Made me wonder if it's that big of an increase.

Are they really that different - the 9002 and the V911?

I'm not looking for anything toooo fast or performance built. I liked the speed of the Drift King (with turbo button pressed) but want 4ch control. I also have about 15 small lipo's that are used for my HZ Champ so I want a heli with an exchangeable battery.

Also a thanks to Stonecutter! Sounds like you had a similar experience with poor TX on the Syma. Also recommended the V911...

Have both the Drift King and the S800 and prefer the Drift King myself as it seems to be easier to control. Really like the controller Mode change (hold the two top buttons down, turn on the controller, and release the buttons after a couple seconds) and find that I have to get used to flying Mode 2 after primarily flying S107's. The S800 can be converted to Mode 2 with a modification to the circuit board of the controller as mentioned in the S800 thread.

Well, Veccster, if you're thinking of 2.4GHz, and going outside, you are ready to leave the coaxial helicopters in the house. As far as I'm concerned, most coaxial on the market are not suitable for outdoors, even with a radio controller. There are exceptions, but they are few and far in between.

So, to enjoy outdoor flying, you should be looking at Single Rotors (so I'm going off-topic, sorry), with or without a Flybar. With Flybar, it's easier to control. Without Flybar, you have to be a good pilot because it requires constant stick adjustments, but it cuts through wind much better.

9C002 by Jiuchon is an older design. It has been reported as a noisy, sluggish helicopter. It's cheap. No argument there. In comparison, GW9958 is a much better bird. But flying the 9958 is a handful at first. You'll be looking at a few glorious crashes and some repair work. V911 is more stable, and easier to control. It's great indoor. I find it struggling in the outdoor. But some owners said that theirs fly great outdoor. Mine doesn't.

Incidentally, Jiuchon also make a V911 clone (clone of a clone), and it is a great machine. We call it a Yellow 911, for lack of a better name. Trouble is, you can't find it with a controller any more. They are sold as BNF heli only. So, unless you already own a V911, or a compatible radio, it is not a good option for you.

In general, once you get outdoor, what seems fast inside the house is now a crawl. So, if I were you, err on performance. You're gonna need it.

Excellent help, Heli! I have flown the Drift King and it flies like a souped up 107g. Almost the same controllability...just faster.

I read some reviews about the controls not being that precise with the 800G so I had my concerns.

I really like that the 9002 is 2.4g as I'd like to fly outside when the winds are dead calm. I've tried it with my 107 but only at night when the sun doesn't interfere. I saw the V911 in my research and it does sound like it's the step up from the 9002 (or a newer model of it). I saw it on Amazon but it was $50 - more than 2x the price of the 9002. Made me wonder if it's that big of an increase.

Are they really that different - the 9002 and the V911?

I'm not looking for anything toooo fast or performance built. I liked the speed of the Drift King (with turbo button pressed) but want 4ch control. I also have about 15 small lipo's that are used for my HZ Champ so I want a heli with an exchangeable battery.

Also a thanks to Stonecutter! Sounds like you had a similar experience with poor TX on the Syma. Also recommended the V911...

The GW9958 will take the batteries you already have for your champ with no modifications